Kyle Mangas is closing in on the IWU single-season scoring record in a phenomenal freshman season.

WARSAW  – It’s been almost a year since Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball coach Greg Tonagel sat in the WCHS Athletic Office and talked about what his program was getting in signing Kyle Mangas.

What a difference maker Mangas has proven to be for the Wildcats in that last year too.

“We needed a Kyle Mangas type of player in this class,” said Tonagel in March of 2017 when Mangas inked with IWU. “We think the sky’s the limit for him.”

Tonagel proved to be spot on.

Everyone knew that that the former Warsaw star and Indiana All-Star would be a very good player for the Wildcats.

But no one could have envisioned that the humble, team-oriented Mangas would be such an impact player so fast for the top program in the ultra-competitive Crossroads League, one of the top small college basketball conferences in the country.

Mangas has been historic in his first season in Marion for the Wildcats, who are ranked No. 4 nationally in NAIA Division II. The 6-3 guard earlier this week became the first freshman in league history to be named the Crossroads Player of the Year. His 718 points so far this season ranks third in program history, trailing only Durand “Speedy” Walker’s 725 and the mark of 756 set by Lane Mahurin. The 718 points is also the fifth-highest total in NAIA Division II this season.

Mangas, who is preparing now to lead his top-seeded team into the NAIA Division II National Championships next week, admits that he has even surprised himself.

“Yes I have surprised myself,” said Mangas about his first season to date. “I’ve put in a lot of hours in the gym, but I don’t think that I could have predicted it going as quite as well as it has to be honest.”

Mangas has been consistent and efficient all year long for the Wildcats. He is averaging 21.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and three assists per game for his 26-7 squad. He is shooting 53 percent overall from the field, including 38 percent from 3-point range, and 78 percent from the free throw line. He leads the Wildcats in scoring, 3-pointers, and minutes played (981) and is second on the team in both assists and steals.

“The coaches and my teammates have given me a lot of confidence and encouragement throughout the season,” noted Mangas. “Knowing they have my back out there gives me an extra boost.”

Mangas has made quite an impression on Tonagel, himself a former Indiana All-Star guard at LaPorte High School and standout player at Valparaiso University.

“Kyle’s biggest impact this season goes far beyond scoring the basketball,” said Tonagel, now in his 13th season at IWU. “Kyle represents the growth we want to see in our players. Even though he was having a record year, he was constantly open to growing and being stretched in new areas. This set a great example to our team.”

“Kyle’s ability to maintain his scoring throughout the season has been impressive. The college season is quite a bit longer than a high school season and he did not hit the proverbial wall like most freshmen.”

Mangas, who finished fourth all-time in Warsaw history with 1,450 prep points and led the Tigers to three straight undefeated NLC seasons and back-to-back sectional championships, has been the go-to-guy all season long as IWU won both the regular season and tournament titles in the Crossroads League.

“Kyle has a natural knack for scoring,”  commented Tonagel, who was honored as the Crossroads League Coach of the Year for the sixth time this season. “He has great footwork and poise. He is rarely rushed in tough spots, especially around the basket. In many ways, he is a throwback with his solid fundamentals.”

Mangas, who became just the fourth player in the outstanding history of IWU basketball to earn Conference Player of the Year honors, has been the scorer that the Wildcats needed. IWU graduated Lane Mahurin (last year’s Crossroads POY) and Bob Peters, both who scored more than 2,000 career points and were All-Americans, from last year’s outstanding team.

Mangas, whose parents Tim and Ann were both very successful high school athletes at Wawasee High School, is focused on team success like he always has been.

“Going after a national championship is the main goal in mind for us,” emphasized Mangas. “It (the scoring record) would definitely mean a lot knowing how many great players have played here at IWU.”

IWU opens play in the National Championships on March 8 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota versus Antelope Valley College (California)

“We are going to take it one game at a time and play every play fearlessly and unselfishly,” concluded Mangas.

Sounds like a true difference maker.

Former Warsaw star Kyle Mangas will lead his No. 4 IWU team into the NAIA Division II National Championships next week in South Dakota.